FINCH HITTER
Geelong batsman Aaron Finch sets season eason alight with his highest one-day score e
AARON Finch showed his class with a six-laden century to lift Victoria to a nine-wicket One-Day Cup victory over Queensland at the Junction Oval yesterday.
Finch crunched a belligerent career-best 188 not out as Victoria mowed down a challenging victory target to reach 1-305 and secure a much-needed win with 5.4 overs remaining.
With one win from its previous outings, defeat would have all but ended Victoria’s cup campaign.
Finch, however, had other ideas.
The opener brought up his century off 73 balls, eventually crunching 14 sixes in a 151-ball innings for a Victorian one-day record score.
Almost predictably Finch won the match with a six, leaving only Western Australia’s D’Arcy Short having cleared the boundary on more occasions in a single innings across the five-decade history of the competition.
Such was Finch’s dominance, the Victorians could even afford to bat with relative caution in the final 10 overs knowing a winning platform had been set.
Sam Harper posted a run-aball 44 as the home side put on 136 for the first wicket off 17.5 overs. Marcus Harris survived some early nervy moments batting at No. 3 to finish on 61 not out.
Harris’ heroics overshadowed a second century in three days from Usman Khawaja as Queensland posted a highly competitive 6-304.
Khawaja followed up his 138 to open the summer with a typically stylish 112 in a comparatively sedate 125-ball innings.
Fellow opener Sam Heazlett also maintained his blistering start to the season, posting a fourth half-century in as many outings before being dismissed for 69 off 51 balls.
Matthew Renshaw continued the run-scoring in the latter stages of the innings with a confident 66.
In Adelaide, half-centuries from Travis Head and Alex Carey lifted South Australia to a crucial eight-wicket bonuspoint win over Tasmania at Karen Rolton Oval.
The Redbacks made light of Tasmania’s 7-255 to reach victory in 38.4 overs.
Australia’s World Cup wicketkeeper Carey was in superb touch and hit the winning runs after a free-flowing unbeaten 80 off 52 balls.
Ashes tourist Head also ended up unbeaten on 80 in a 99-ball knock as SA ended on 2-257.
All SA’s batsman got among the runs with Jake Weatherald returning from injury with 53 off 57 balls, while Callum Ferguson contributed 28.
Earlier, Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell hit his maiden century. The 22-year-old was dismissed for 104 off 117-ball innings, having sharing a 162run stand for the third wicket with Jordan Silk (87).